Touch up spot - moving from 1000 to 2000 to 2500/3000 - Think it'll work?

[dhahlen]

Hello everyone.

I've caught the detailing bug... not to say I haven't done a bit of wetsanding before (mainly on headlights/tail lights), but this would be my first on the actual body of the car.

I picked up a vehicle for myself and it has a nice size gash in it. Probably a 1/4 wide and 2-3 inches long. It seems someone tossed some touch up paint on it and just blobbed it everywhere. I can deal with the rock chips and the small dings, etc.. but when it comes to something fairly decent in size, I like to clean it up.

So here is what I've done so far:

-Cleaned the area and wiped it down
-Sanded the small area down using 1000 grit, got it down to the metal
-Applied primer and let it dry for 24 hours
-Applied 5 layers of base coat (letting each dry for 4-8 hours before applying the next coat)
-Sanded the area again with 2000 grit
-Applied 2 layers of clear coat

Now I am at the point where I am waiting for the clear coat to cure so I can sand. I'm going to sand it sunday morning - at least thats the idea.

Here is my concern:

I was reading some posts and guides on autopia and they mentioned the use of 1000 grit. After using it, I regret that I used such a coarse paper on the paint. My question is, after I sand over it with 2500 grit, do you think i can use M105 to clear things up? Or did I totally screw myself using the 1000 grit?

I figure if you have 1000 grit marks, you can correct them by going the opposite way with a finer grit. I originally sanded horizontally with 1000, then vertically with 2000. I intend to go horizontally with 2500 and then polish it out with M105. After reading up on the M105, it seems like a dream come true. I'm just concerned that my work from the 1000 grit will have ruined my chances of fixing the sanded area.

I think I'll be using this forum quite often. I picked up a whole G110 kit with a buttload of products. I've used clay and polish by hand, but this is my first DA so I think i'll be testing it out on the beater before I move to the weekend car.

Help is appreciated on the sanding questions.

Thanks,
Darren

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Touch up spot - moving from 1000 to 2000 to 2500/3000 - Think it'll work?

Hello everyone.

Now I am at the point where I am waiting for the clear coat to cure so I can sand. I'm going to sand it sunday morning - at least thats the idea.

Here is my concern:

I was reading some posts and guides on autopia and they mentioned the use of 1000 grit. After using it, I regret that I used such a coarse paper on the paint. My question is, after I sand over it with 2500 grit, do you think i can use M105 to clear things up? Or did I totally screw myself using the 1000 grit?

I apologize that I'm a little confused. Are the sanding marks you're trying to remove all in the last coat or top coat?

You can't effect what's under the paint.

If you sanded the top coat, or last coat of paint you sprayed with #1000 grit paper then that's pretty coarse and will have removed a lot of this layer of paint. This means to sand again or even buff again is going to remove more paint and that's where the risk comes into play.

Are you going to use the M105 by hand or by machine?

I was reading some posts and guides on autopia and they mentioned the use of 1000 grit. After using it, I regret that I used such a coarse paper on the paint.

Yeah... you have to be careful, try to double check your questions on another forum like this one where accountability for technically correct answers are a priority.

Too many copy and paste experts out their instead of hands-on experts...

[dhahlen]

Re: Touch up spot - moving from 1000 to 2000 to 2500/3000 - Think it'll work?

Thanks for the reply, I understand. Let me clarify for you...

I want to know if I sand over a 1000 grit area with 2000 grit, then again with 2500 grit, will this make it easier for M105 to remove the scratches?

M105 is rated for 1200+, which means, if I tried to buff out the 1000 grit scratches with M105, it wouldn't work. So, I need to sand down a bit more with a finer grit in order to remove the marks.

I just wanted to know if I should skip the 2000 grit and move right to 2500 and then try to remove the scratches with M105.

My worry is that the scratches won't come out.

I'll be using the M105 by hand. However, I picked up a G110 today, don't plan on using it until i have a few practice runs elsewhere.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Touch up spot - moving from 1000 to 2000 to 2500/3000 - Think it'll work?

Thanks for the reply, I understand. Let me clarify for you...

I want to know if I sand over a 1000 grit area with 2000 grit, then again with 2500 grit, will this make it easier for M105 to remove the scratches?

Yes. In most cases dramatically easier.

M105 is rated for 1200+, which means, if I tried to buff out the 1000 grit scratches with M105, it wouldn't work. So, I need to sand down a bit more with a finer grit in order to remove the marks.

What that means is it was designed to tackle effectively #1200+ depth sanding marks when used with a rotary buffer and an wool cutting pad.

When used with a wool pad and a rotary buffer it will remove paint so it will begin the process of removing #1000 grit sanding marks but it won't be as effective as a product that is course enough to remove #1000 sanding marks to start with which we don't make for automotive purposes because we teach people to work smarter, not harder and getting aggressive as you can with delicate, scratch-sensitive clear coat paints that are often time thin is a recipe for disaster. (At least that's what we do on this forum, you can find any kind of advice you want to hear on other forums).

In the real world, Meguiar's teaches people to work smarter instead of harder so it's smarter to spend more time sanding and working your way up to finer grit sanding marks and then remove these versus use the caveman approach of using very coarse papers and then entering into battle to try to remove them.

I just wanted to know if I should skip the 2000 grit and move right to 2500 and then try to remove the scratches with M105.

Use the #2000 grit first. #2500 is very fine with an emphasis on the words very fine. After #1000 grit paper you still have some "Chopping" to do as in you still have some paint to level. In fact it would be better to sand with #2000 and try to remove these sanding marks than to try to remove #1000 with #2500 and then buff. You would likely be left with zillions of tracers.

On a personal note, if I were to sand and buff a car I would do as many sanding steps as I could to work up to the #2500, #3000, #4000 level and then buff versus buff at a lower grit range. It's safer, cooler and more efficient to control the depth of the sanding mark then to spend hours behind a rotary with the added risk of heat, to remove sanding marks.

My worry is that the scratches won't come out.

Valid concern after using #1000 grit paper. Where did you get that advice?

I'll be using the M105 by hand. However, I picked up a G110 today, don't plan on using it until i have a few practice runs elsewhere.

Your hand will be more able to apply more pressure for removing paint as compared to ANY DA Polisher.

Look here, (learn something that will help you in the future)

The Popular Tags Box

Click on the word exert liability

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/tags.php?tag=exert+liability

Read all the threads that come up...


You're hand pushing down on an applicator pad of some type or terry cloth can exert more pressure to the surface than a DA Polisher in that when you apply too much pressure to a DA Polisher the safety feature that everyone loves about DA Polishers will kick in and the pad will stop rotating and paint will stop being removed.

At this time, unlike a lot of forums, Meguiar's teaches the most effective way to remove sanding marks out of paint is to use a rotary buffer and if you can't use a rotary buffer or don't own one then we tell you upfront that wet-sanding is likely not a good option for you at this time for this project.

[dhahlen]

Re: Touch up spot - moving from 1000 to 2000 to 2500/3000 - Think it'll work?

Reading up on those threads now....

However, you said... "Use the #2000 grit first. #2500 is very fine with an emphasis on the words very fine. After #1000 grit paper you still have some "Chopping" to do as in you still have some paint to level. In fact it would be better to sand with #2000 and try to remove these sanding marks than to try to remove #1000 with #2500 and then buff. You would likely be left with zillions of tracers."

You said sand with #2000 then try to remove the marks....

Did you mean sand with #2000 then try the M105, or should i do #2000, #2500, #3000 then M105.

I have 1500-3000 grits, so I can work it up...

In your opinion, and I'll take it as that, would it be better if I did 2000 and then tried M105, or should I gradually work up from 2000 to 3000 before using M105?

[dhahlen]

Re: Touch up spot - moving from 1000 to 2000 to 2500/3000 - Think it'll work?

I decided to use the M105 in an area around the touch up, it looks like it works quite well on 2000 grit. However, I'm already past the clear as after about 10 seconds I noticed some paint coming off on the rag. I do not think I'll sand it further as I'm already far enough and I'm satisfied with the results on 2000 grit.

Is there anyway to re-clear coat that area without it looking horrible?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Touch up spot - moving from 1000 to 2000 to 2500/3000 - Think it'll work?

Did you mean sand with #2000 then try the M105, or should i do #2000, #2500, #3000 then M105.

This assumes you already sanded with #1000 grit which is how your posts reads.

Tell us exactly where is the top coat right now?
Is it sanded?
If so, with what size grit paper?

Did you mean sand with #2000 then try the M105, or should i do #2000, #2500, #3000 then M105.

Again, your posts reads as though you've already started sanding with #1000 grit paper. If this is true then you can start removing these with #1500 since now you've let us know that you have #1500 grit paper.

Sometimes it helps to include more information about where you're at with the paint, (exactly), and what tools you have to move forward with.

Your goal of your process is to sand the paint flat using the least aggressive products and then use the least aggressive products to remove your sanding marks.

The overall goal is to remove the orange peel and then restore gloss to the finish while leaving as much paint on the car as possible.

So where are you at with the paint right now?
Is it sanded at all?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Touch up spot - moving from 1000 to 2000 to 2500/3000 - Think it'll work?

Is there anyway to re-clear coat that area without it looking horrible?

Maybe a professional painter will chime in with some information.

If the area you sanded through the clear, is this an area you started sanding with #1000 grit and then followed with #2000 grit?

[dhahlen]

Re: Touch up spot - moving from 1000 to 2000 to 2500/3000 - Think it'll work?

Maybe a professional painter will chime in with some information.

If the area you sanded through the clear, is this an area you started sanding with #1000 grit and then followed with #2000 grit?

Yeah, it was around the area i touched up. I sanded slightly wider than the scratch, I went over it with 1000, then 2000.

The whole area I've done is sitting at a 2000 grit sanding.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Touch up spot - moving from 1000 to 2000 to 2500/3000 - Think it'll work?

The whole area I've done is sitting at a 2000 grit sanding.

M105 will remove #2000 grit sanding marks but you need enough film-build to work with safely or you end up removing too much and exposing the color coat.

Not sure what to tell you at this point, might have to start over and next time don't start sanding with too aggressive of a paper.

Good luck with it...